Improvement in hay-elevating forks



Usiiren STATES PATENT Ormea.

ROSWTELL J. STANLEY, OF MOUNT MORRIS, NEW YORK.

' IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-ELEVATING FORKS.

Spccitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 40.860, dated December 8, 1863.

To all whom fit may concern:

Beit known that I, R. J. STANLEY, ofMount Morris, in the countyot Livingston and State of New York, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Double Elevating-Forks; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specilication, in whichi Figurel is a plan of my improved fork. Fig. 2 is a vertical section ot' the same, showing it in two positions.

Similar letters ot reference indicate corresponding parts in both ligures.

This invention has been more especially designed for forks for the discharging of straw from the bleaches inthe manufacture of paper, but may be also applied to agricultural purposes.

It consists in a novel construction ot" the fork, whereby the opening and closing at the proper time are rendered automatic and the necessity for a separate tackle to open the fork is dispensed with.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The two sides ot' the forks are composed of two similar frames or stocks, A A', pivoted together by a piu, a, and each furnished with a suitable number of tines, b b, and the stock A has iliade in the same piece with or ,rigidly attached to it an arm, C, and the stock A has made in the same with or rigidly attached to it a similar arm, C', and the arm O ory C of each fork extends beyond the pivot and over the stock of the other fork. The two arms O C are connected bytwo links, D D', which arepivoted to the shackle E, by which the whole apparatus is attached to the rope or chain F, by which the hoisting is effected, the said rope or chain being operated by a crane or other suitable hoisting apparatus.

'lo the arm U there is pivoted by a fulcrum, c, a small lever, G7 to the outer arm ot' which there is attached a hooked spring-catch, d, which is arranged to vhook into a notch, e, in the under side of the stock A, and the inner arm of the said lever is loaded, as shown atf, so as to overhalance the outer arm, and tend to keep the upper surface ot' the latter arm above the upper surface ot' the arm C', as shown in blue outline in Fig. 2, and keep the catch outl ot'the notch c, the wei the stock A.

The crane from which the hook is suspended has rigidly attached to it a ring or circular frame, H, through the center ot' which the rope orchain fpasses, and which is so formed that in raising the fork the arms G C and the outer arm ot' the catch-lever G will come in contact with it. This ring or frame swings with the hook.

The operation of' the i'ork is as follows: It is lowered into the bleach from which the straw is to be taken, or to the oor or place whence any other material is taken, in the open condition shown in black outline in Fig. 1, in which it is locked by the catch (l entering the notch c. When the points ofthe tines b come to a bearing the other parts still descend till the arms C C come to a bearing on the stocks A A, which isl sufiicient to free the catch d from the notch c and allow the weighted arm of'the lever G to drop against the stock A, and so draw out the catch d clear of the stock. As soon as the rope or chain becomes slack, which shows that the hook h'as descended as far as necessary, the hook is hoisted up, and in this operation it is closed by the action of the arms G O', as shown in Fig. 2, so thatit takes up the straw or other material. After the hook has closed, and before the arms C C come in contact with the frame or ring H, the crane or hoisting apparatus is swung over the receptacle or place into which or where the straw or other material is to be deposited, and the hoisting up is again continued, and the effect of drawing up the arms C C against the trame or ring is to cause the spreading of the said arms and consequent opening ot' the hook and discharge ot' its contents. The outer arm ofthe ghtj'then resting against catch-1ever G also comes into contact with thc ring or frame H, and is depressed relatively to the arm O until tlush therewith, and as the hook arrives in its completely-open condition the catch l springs under the stock A and into the notch c, and locks the hook in the open condition shown in Fig. 2, in which condition it remains during its descent.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to bined and operating substantially as and for secure' by Letters Patent, isthe purpose herein specified.

The double fork composed 0f the two stocks A A', with their attached tines, the two arms ROSWELL J' STANLEY' C C', two links, D D, and the catch-lever G, 'Vitnesses:

and spring-catch d, or their equivalent, at- T. J. GAMBLE,

tached to one ofthe arms C C', the whole com- Y JAMES YEOMANS. 

